Tim Mahoney Golf Blog

Tim Mahoney Golf Blog

Poor putters have more clubs than strokes and great putters
have a putter that matches their putting motion. Recently during a Mahoney Golf Academy
session at the Troon North Golf Club, I had my assistant place all of the students
putter along a wall in the golf shop. Twenty students where in the session and only half of them could find
their putters. Moral of story, great
putters have a putter that matches the motion and poor putters blame the
equipment.

Basically, there are 2 types of putters or equipment
available to a golfer: a face balanced
putter or a shaft balanced putter. A
face balanced putter is a club that is balanced from heel to toe and is built
in a manner where the club swings straight back and forth on both sides of the
swing and remains square on both sides of the swing. A shaft balanced putter is
a club designed to swing inside to allow to inside on both sides of the swing
and the face should open to close.

Golfers who prefer a balanced putter should address the
following: Hold the club in the palm of
hands, stand close the golf ball with your eyes over the target line, hold the
club tightly in your arms and hands. As
you swing the golf club keep the club face looking at the ball or target on
both sides of the swing and focus on the shoulders producing the power source
of the motion.

Golfers who prefer a shaft balanced putter should address
the following: Hold the clubs in the
fingers of both hands, stand tall with your eyes inside the target line with a
loose arm and finger hold. As you swing
the club allows your arms to control the speed and move the club inside on both
sides of the motion. The club face
should open on the back swing and close on the forward side of your motion.

Jack Nicklaus produced a motion where the putter swung
straight back and forth on both sides and Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelsen
produced a motion where the putter swung inside to inside on both sides. Two different motions but had great
results. Pick a golf club or putter that
matches your eye or motion.

All great putters from Bobby Locke to Ben Crenshaw, share
the unique talent of superb green reading. Consistent putting is the combination of distance control, directional
control and the ability to read a green. I have been in the golf instruction arena for over 30 years and I
believe that green reading is an art not a learned science. Consistent green reading consist of the
following:

1. All
golf courses have some type of a prevailing break. Away from mountains, towards the water or
towards the setting sun. At the Westin
Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale Arizona where I conduct he majority of my
winter instruction, the general rule is that “all putts will break towards
Phoenix,” based on the elevation and the roll of the land. When checking into the golf shop for the next
round of golf, asked the professional staff the green breaking tendency.
2. As
you approach the putting surface look for areas of drainage. The golf ball will generally break in the
direction of water runoff. The golf ball
will generally break towards lakes, creeks, ponds and drainage bunkers.
3. As
you read your putt, you want to align yourself behind the ball on the target
line as close to the ground as possible. In this position you are reviewing the overall direction of the
putt. Imagine if you were to pour water
over the line of the putt, where would the water run. This is the direction of the break.
4. Walk
to the halfway point on the low side of the putt. From here, you are reviewing the overall distance
of the putt. It is much easier to
measure something from the side than it is from behind.
5. Next,
walk to the hole, from here you are reviewing any sudden breaks at the cup,
grain direction and reviewing the direction. (Grain direction is indicated at the cup by any worn areas inside the
hole. A worn edge will indicate the
direction of the grain. A shiny look
will indicate grain growing away from you, a faster putt, a dull look, the
grain growing towards you and a slower putt.)
6. Speed
will always determine the break. Less
speed means more break and speedier putts means less break. When I am asked by a golfer,” which way will
this putt break,’ I ask the golfer “how much speed is required?” (Aim putter
string)

Directional control, distance control and the ability to
read a putt are the keys to excellent putting. Your first read is always the correct one. Trust your read, stick with a consistent
routine, aim the putter and your body and react to the target.

The phrase “Drive for show and putt for dough” has been
apart of the game of golf since the early Scott’s started hitting rocks into
the rabbit holes, as they tended to there sheep. Consistent putter’s always finish around the
top of the leader board and are the lower handicap player’s at our clubs. But, also keep in mind that golfer’s who miss
fairways never get to the green to attempt a putt. Putting attributes to approximately 42% of
total strokes and woods 23%, but we must get the ball into play, in order to
advance towards the putting surface.
Consistent drivers have the following fundamentals:

1. A
mind-set of conservative off of the tee and aggressive around the greens. Get the ball somewhere in the fairway. Corners and doglegs are not meant to be
carried, they are meant to play around.
If you can’t find the fairway with your driver use your 3-wood, if you
can’t find it with your 3-wood use your 5 and so on.
2. Thirteen
clubs 1 swing. If you were to ask any
consistent player they would tee you, “I have 1 swing, but I have 13 different
set-ups.” A waist high to waist high
swing is always at right angles to the positioning of your spine. At address the club is positioned at right
angles to your spine. As the clubs get
longer or shorter your posture will be affected, longer clubs, wider stance and
less bend at address, shorter clubs narrow stance and more bend. The change in spine tilt will affect the
plane or angle of the swing. The club is
always swung around your spine, with the spine as the hub.
3. Distance=Swing
speed+ solid contact. Speed is the
result of utilizing all power sources (body, arms and wrist) during a balance
motion. Solid contact is the result of a
proper swing shape as you maintain the hub (spine.)
4. Utilize
friendly and conforming equipment.
Longer shafts, larger club heads, lower center of gravity and distance
balls will assist with distance and direction control. Overly stiff shafts and lower lofted clubs
make driving much more difficult.

Lower scores and consistency is the result of fairways hit,
greens in regulation, consistent wedge play and distance control in
putting. Consistency starts with
fairways hit. The average tour player
hits 9.5 fairways per round, the fairways they miss the ball is on the
property. Controlled driving means lower scores. The old Scott’s had wide pastures and short
holes.

After observing the practice sessions at the 2014 Masters
tournament I noticed significant change in the manner of practice from the
elite tour players: golfers utilizing drills into their practice routine. Tiger Woods, Rory McElroy to Lee Westwood,
all golfers utilizing a movement or practice swing to isolate a muscle movement
or change. The old age of “practice
makes perfect,” had been amended to “perfect practice makes perfectly
permanent.” All level of golfers needs
to develop a movement or thought that will allow them to incorporate the needed
change. At the Mahoney and Troon Golf
Academy we have developed several drills that will assist all golfers with the
quest of perfecting the movement.

Right Arm Drill- the right arm controls the shaft into the
downswing and through the impact area.
The club must fall as the body turns.
A great drill that we have created is the right arm throw exercise. Hold a golf ball into your right hand and
simulate a backswing with your right hand and arm. To simulate the down swing: hold your trunk in place and attempt to throw
the ball and strike the ball on the ground.
This drill will produce the desired straightening of the right arm and
the correct angle of approach. A ball
released on the target side of the ball the arm plane to steep and a ball
released prior to the ball on the ground is to shallow. Hit the ball on the ground and your plane and
release are correct.

Right hand in arm only for putting drill- controlling
distance is the secret to successful putting.
A drill that will assist all golfers with this goal is putting with only
your right hand onto the club. From 5-6
feet, hold the putter in your right hand.
As you stroke the putts maintain the angle established in the back of
your right wrist. By maintaining this
angle, this allows the putter head to gradually accelerate through impact. If the right wrist straightens, the putter
over-accelerates and the golfer can not control distance. Try 20 putts and keep track of how many
putts were made and continue your daily accounting.

Pivot drill- is a drill that will assist golfers with
correct hip rotation during the backswing.
Bio-mechanical test have proven during the backswing that the weight doesn’t
shift to the backside but the body rotates freely as you create tension between
the upper and lower body. A drill that
will assist with this sensation is the pivot drill: position a club along side your right hip and
allow the hips to turn freely on the back swing. If the club moves or falls-the hips have slid
on the back swing. The hips should turn
as you body weight is centered between your feet. This drill is a backswing only drill.

Practice like a pro and incorporate the drills outlined above. Keep in mind that practice makes permanent
and “perfect practice makes perfectly permanent.”

Every week millions of golfer’s watch Jordan Speith, Lydia
Ko and others compete in Professional events, and the amateurs use these
individuals as standards for their own golf games. What the golfing public doesn’t see is the
other 60 or so golfer’s who are competing each week making pars and bogeys, the
70 other golfers’ who missed the cut and the amount of time these professionals
spend perfecting their skills. If you measure
your own game against the top professionals, you have unrealistic expectations
and will be forever frustrated with your game.

The first objective when making a swing change is to
understand that cause and effect of your motion. Is the over the top motion the effect of an open
clubface or the cause. Is the in-correct
pivot a mis-concept or a flexibility issue?
Once you and/or your coach determines the cause than a game plan for
success must be developed.

Swing change game plans typically include a perfect set-up,
practice swing routine, playing strategies, how to stretch and how to make a
change. This game plan must be adjusted
during the swing change in order to address the cause and effects of the
swinging motion.

A golf swing is a constantly changing and evolving
motion. Flexibility, fitness level,
practice commitment and playing time will adjust and change the shape of a golfer’s
motion. As a result, the golf swing must
be adjusted and changed. Understanding
the cause and effect of your swing with realistic expectations will allow you
swing and golf enjoyment during your golf careers.

The final goal in golf is the end product: the score.
Hitting perfect shots does not equate to a low score. Good “bad” shots, a
consistent short game, and controlled tee shots allow golfers to achieve the
ultimate goal – a low score. To this
end, golfers must learn how to play the game – including understanding tee-shot
placement, reading bad lies, and selecting a club. Practice the following
theories and you will begin to understand how to “play the game”.

The Friendly Theory

Cobra Advisory Staff member Hank
Johnson recommends that golfers follow the “friendly” theory when playing golf.
Golfers should use friendly clubs, make friendly swings, and choose friendly
targets.

1. Friendly clubs are ones that golfers have practiced
with and spent some time with on and off the course. Keep in mind that to get
the ball up in the air, you must get the center of the club beneath the center
of the ball at impact. Your fairway woods are designed to lift the ball, and
are much easier to hit than your longer irons. Choose the friendliest club
dictated by your lie and the shot you wish to execute.
2. Friendly swings are swings that you have practiced and
have the ability to finish in balance. A balanced finish indicates that your
swing is non-hurried and flowing. All golfers should hold their follow through
until the ball lands. The inability to hold your follow through indicates a
hurried and non-friendly swing.
3. Friendly targets are forgiving targets with generous
landing areas. A pin tacked behind a bunker may not be a friendly target.
Choose open areas which will not so severely penalize a bad shot.

**Conservative off the Tee –
Aggressive around the Greens

Matches can not be won off the
tee. Your mindset should be one of being conservative off the tee and
aggressive around the greens. You must get your “first serve in”, position your
tee-ball in the fairway with a conservative mindset. If you are having
difficulty with drawing the ball with your driver, use your 3 wood. Cutting
doglegs may not be the prudent move – instead, get your ball in the fairway. As
you get closer to the hole, become more aggressive. Whenever you find yourself
with a short game shot (pitching, chipping, bunker or putting), your mindset
should always be to try to hole the shot.

So, to play the game well, and
lowering your scores, remember to incorporate the friendly theory, and the
conservative to aggressive theory, into your game plan.

During the late 1970’s I had the opportunity to participate
in a Golf Digest School as a range attendant (caddie) at the Pinehurst Resort,
where Sam Snead was a guest instructor.
Sam’s responsibilities where to play a few holes with every group and
provide some insight of “how to play the game.”
On a particular hole Sam had driven his ball into the left rough
approximately 170 yards from the middle of the green and behind a pine
tree. Sam could not take a direct line
to the flag, due to the tree, but had space on both sides of the tree to play a
curve. Sam had me throw down a couple of
balls and he demonstrated slices and hooks.
After several shots, where they all landed onto the green, Sam” asked
the group if they had any questions,” a gentlemen responded, “How did you do
it.” Sam responded “didn’t you
watch.” All Sam did, was to mentally
think slice or hook and his body responded. Allowing his subconscious mind to
control his body. Most golfers do not
have the ability to subconsciously play an intended curve (most golfers play an
uncontrolled curve). If a golfer
implements a few compatible in-swing and pre-swing adjustments they too can
control the ball like Sam Snead.

Hook- golf balls that start to the right and curves to the
left.
1. Aim
the clubface at your desired final target.
This position will strengthen your grip and close your clubface.
2. Aim
your body in the direction you want your golf ball to start.
3. Position
the golf ball back in your stance.
4. Swing
the golf club along your bodylines (similar to any full shot.)
5. As
you make your downswing motion allow your arms to fully release and close the
clubface through the impact area.

The stronger grip, rearward ball position, in-out swing path
and a fully released clubface will produce the right to left ball-flight.

Slice- golf ball that starts to the left and curves to the
right.
1. Aim
your clubface at your desired final target.
This position will weaken your grip and open your clubface.
2. Aim
your body in the direction you want your golf ball to start.
3. Position
the golf ball forward in your stance.
4. Swing
the golf club align your body line (similar to a full shot.)
5. As
you make your downswing motion hold the clubface open with your trunk. There should be no clubface rotation through
impact.

The weaker grip, forward ball position, out-in swing path
and an open clubface will produce the left to right ball flight.

Even the beginner golfer recognizes that no two players
set up to the ball in exactly the same manner. The mistake is made in fastening
on to these differences and assuming that every player must, therefore, have
his or her own way of preparing for the shot, and that it is all a matter of
preference.

Perhaps
the tiny details are a matter of preference. Despite preferences,
however, there are pre-swing fundamentals that enough great players keep in
common so that they are regarded as sound.

Grip
The first fundamental involves getting the hands on the
club in a suitable manner. A good grip starts with the glove hand.

Ideally, the glove hand should be placed on the grip so
that the finger tips are not visible to the golfer looking down at address. To
achieve this position, the left thumb must be placed right of center (for the
right-handed player), and the club as a whole should be held in the fingers.
The golfer whose glove wears out in the palm could use some work in these
particulars.

As for the non-glove hand, provided the palm faces the
general direction of the target the two hands should work nicely together.

Posture
Working into a proper posture, the golfer should tilt so
that the club can get down to the ball. The proper tilt is from the hip
sockets. If a golfer pushes his belt buckle back away from his hands at
address, he’ll be on his way to a proper tilt.

The trouble to avoid here is bending too much at the
knees. In a proper, athletic posture the knees should merely unlock so that
they remain directly above the shoestrings.

You may have noticed that great players appear centered
throughout the swing. This is easily achieved because the expert golfer
addresses the ball with a straight spine. With the spine providing a straight
axis around which the body can rotate, the golfer can turn away, and re-turn
through the ball free of excess left, right, or up-and-down movement.

Aim
A good sense of aim, if here today, can disappear before
tomorrow. It must, therefore, be conditioned constantly.

The way to know for sure that one is properly aimed is to
place clubs on the ground during every practice session. Knowing the clubs are
aimed directly at the target, the only thing left to do is align the feet, knees,
hips, and shoulders parallel to the clubs. From this perfected aimed set-up,
looking back and forth between the ball and target will condition a sense of
what correct aim looks and feels like.

It’s good to keep in mind that aim is not only a matter of
accuracy. In fact, even with poor aim a golfer may, over time, learn to hit the
ball to the hole. To do so, however, he must adopt inefficient redirecting
movements, and in doing so further widen the gap between his actual and
potential skill with a golf club.

Ball Position
It is no secret to most that a consistently powerful golf
swing involves a weight shift to the forward foot in the early stages of the
downswing.

It can be reasoned then that one weight shift with little
variation would be easiest to learn. In other words, a golfer should learn to
shift the weight to the same degree when swinging a 7-iron as a 3-wood. This
being the case, it is wise to adopt one ball position that works for all clubs
when hit from level lies off the fairway.

For most, I suggest the ball be positioned two inches
inside the left heel (again, for the right-handed player). Keeping the ball in
the same place relative to the left leg will allow the golfer to learn one
shift that works for every club. Granted, the stance for a 3-wood is a bit
wider than for a 7-iron, so the casual observer may point out that the ball
appears more forward when using the longer club. Still, the ball remains in the
same place relative to the forward foot for all shots hit from the grass from level
lies.

Keep in mind that in-swing fundamentals only have meaning
if preceded by correct pre-swing fundamentals. The good news is that after
adhering to a proper set-up –grip, posture, aim and ball position—what follows
becomes easier to achieve.

All golfers from a PGA Tour Player, Jason Day, Jordon Speith
and Rory McEllroy to a 18 handicap participants in a Troon Golf Academy are
striving for control of the golf ball via distance, direction and trajectory.
Control is the number 1 ingredient to lower scores and enjoyment. I have been coaching a two clubface swing for
over 30 years: golf club face and the golfers left wrist. In order for the club face to be square at
impact (looking at the desired target) the golfers left wrist needs to be flat
(parallel to your lead arm). This
alignment will allow for maximum control of distance direction and trajectory
throughout the entire flight.
Left wrist control starts at address with the proper
grip. Left hand heel pad on top, thumb
to the right of center and no gap between the thumb and the base of the hand.
As you place your right hand on the club: lifeline covers your thumb, trigger
finger to the side and no gap between your thumb and the base of your hand.
Both V’s in your grip pointing to your right shoulder and both wrist at address
slightly bent and relaxed.
As the club swings, arms swings and wrist cock up the top of
the swing the left wrist flattens into a neutral position. This flat position aligns the club face,
positions the left arm into a planned position.
As the club swings into impact the left wrist must maintain the flat
position. This flat position controls
trajectory, distance and direction.
Impact position the left wrist is flat, hips open and
shoulders are square. Shaft is forward
leaned and the club face is square.
Control is the effect of a left wrist flat position.

Golf has developed into a power game. Longer holes, thicker roughs, elevated greens
and tighter fairways have attributed to this change in concept. In the golf swing there is only 3 power
sources available: wrist cock, arm swing
and body turn. Club head speed and power
is the effect of the blending of these power and speed sources. Golfers must use all 3 power sources when
attempting to maximize distance and speed.

Allowing the wrist to cock and unclock freely during both
sides of the golf swing will increase speed and distance. As the club swings back allow the wrist to
cock thus forming a right angle from the left arm and club. Holding the club lightly will allow this
action to take place.

The body needs to turn freely on both sides of the
swing. The backswing the shoulders turn
90 degrees as the hips turn 45 degrees.
On the forward side of the swing the lower body needs to initiate due to
the coil established in the backswing.
The knees should touch with the right hip finishing closer to the target
as the left. A great drill to assist
with the back swing pivot is to place a club on the shoulders at address and
turn the shaft into the top of the swing.
Allow the upper body to turn against the resisting lower body.

Complementing the wrist cock and body turn is the swinging
motion of the arms as the right arm bends 90 degrees. The arms must swing freely on both sides of
the swing as the right arm bends. The arm swing is the effect of the correct posture
and relaxation at address and during the motion.

A drill to assist you with generating these power sources,
is what I call the wind up exercise.
Place a club across your chest.
From the starting position, wind your upper body against the lower body. Allow the shaft to rotate freely at right
angle to your spine. Hold for 5 seconds
at the top and repeat. As you do this
exercise, maintain your posture and keep your abs engaged.

The completed power backswing has full wristcock, arm swing
and body pivot. Allowing your wrist to
cock, arms to swing and body to turn will give you the opportunity to create Rory
McIlroy’s power and speed.

Ninety degrees of wristcock, shoulder turn and right arm
bend will generate 270 yards of distance.
Allow the arms to swing, wrist to cock and arms to swing and you will
hit it like Rory!